‘Pregnant?’ Bastien queried with a frown of uncertainty. ‘But I thought you were convinced that you weren’t.’
‘The symptoms were misleading,’ Lilah told him primly. ‘Well? You’re not saying anything... What do you think? How do you feel?’
‘I think I’m in shock. I’m a husband, and now I’m going to be a father, and...’ Bastien’s beautifully shaped mouth slanted into a wide, brilliant smile as he moved towards her. ‘I couldn’t be happier.’
Lilah padded towards him. ‘Even though it’s not what you originally signed up for?’
‘I signed you up in an open-ended contract...or didn’t you notice that? I never promised to let you go, and believe me, I won’t now,’ Bastien warned her. ‘You’re my wife, and you’re going to have my baby, and I’ll never let either of you go.’
‘We won’t want to be without you,’ Lilah swore, rising on tiptoe to close her arms round him. ‘I love you so much, Bastien.’
Bastien stared down at her with wondering pleasure. ‘I know—and I don’t know why.’
‘Because you’re very loveable,’ she pointed out.
Bastien was still bewildered, but he decided that it would be insane to question a miracle. He had done everything wrong and she had forgiven him. She cared about him—really cared. When had anyone ever truly cared about him?
His eyes suspiciously bright, Bastien lifted his wife with reverent hands and laid her back down very gently on the bed. ‘You need to rest,’ he said with conviction.
‘No, I need you,’ Lilah countered, her hand snatching at his to keep him close.
Bastien hung back a step. ‘If I join you on that bed, I’ll—’
His wife grinned at him, her heart racing, body thrumming. ‘Do you think I don’t know that? I’m throwing down a red carpet and a welcome mat.’
‘In that case...’ A wolfish smile tilted his beautiful mouth and he shed his jacket with fluid grace, all power and satisfaction. ‘Your wish is my command.’
‘Since when?’ Lilah quipped, unimpressed by that unlikely claim.
‘Since you told me that you love me.’
‘I do...’ Lilah sighed, breathing in the scent of him like an addict.
Bastien smoothed her hair back from her cheekbone, his burnished dark golden eyes brilliant. ‘I really do love you, Delilah...’
Lilah put her sultry mouth to his and slow-burning heat rose inside her, as potent as the happiness she was barely able to contain. Her future was filled with Bastien and the promise of a family, and she was overjoyed by the knowledge.
EPILOGUE
Three years later
LILAH SMOOTHED DOWN her print sundress and studied the sapphire and diamond eternity ring Bastien had given her to celebrate their son’s birth. Nikos was a lively toddler, with a shock of black hair and his mother’s bright blue eyes. He was also a wonderfully affectionate child, and revelled in the attention he received from his father, who was determined to give his son a secure and loving childhood.
So much had changed during the past three years. Their home base was a London town house, but whenever they needed some downtime from their busy lives they flew out to the chateau in Provence.
The big house was the perfect base for family get-togethers, and Lilah’s father, stepmother and siblings were regular visitors. Robert Moore was still running Moore Components, which had gone from strength to strength, expanding to facilitate the number of orders it was receiving.
Within weeks of Anatole’s heart attack Bastien and Lilah had celebrated a second wedding in Provence—a church ceremony, attended by all their family, and followed by a lively party at the chateau.
For a while afterwards Lilah had worked with Bastien as one of his PAs, and that had enabled the couple to spend more time together—particularly when he was travelling a lot. Since their son’s birth, however, Bastien had consolidated the various elements of his business empire to enable him to travel less and spend more time with his family.
Grace and Leo had also become steady visitors. It had taken a long time, but Leo and Bastien had finally bonded as the brothers they were. Marina had told Leo the truth about the termination, and Leo had come to see Bastien to mend fences the same day on which Lilah had discovered she was pregnant.